Our disproportionately poor middle-class troops

Larry Elder was talking about about an interesting Heritage Foundation study this evening. At that link, you can see the study data and read a rather lengthy report dealing with the racial and socio-economic makeup of military recruits.

Now, if you were getting your information form the MSM or (God forbid) Michael Moore, you might be surprised to learn the following:

There are slightly higher proportions of recruits from the middle class and slightly lower proportions from low-income brackets. However, the proportion of high-income recruits rose to a disproportionately high level after the war on ter­rorism began, as did the proportion of highly edu­cated enlistees.

You might also be surprised to find that "98 percent of all enlisted recruits who enter the military have an education level of high school graduate or higher, compared to the national aver­age of 75 percent," and that "recruits tend to come from mid­dle-class areas, with disproportionately fewer from low-income areas," putting the lie to the idea that our military is mostly made up of poor, undereducated dupes.

Unsurprisingly, in light of these findings, the report says that a renewed draft would actually result in a less effective and, possibly, an "even...less socioeconomically 'privileged' military in the process."

Take a look at the study, and make sure to pass it on the next time some moonbat starts singing the same old tune about the "poor kids" Chimpy McBushitler is sending to die in Iraq.

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